Ash World
by Amidcomotion
Summary: Original story, this is a random story I just decided to write, I hope you enjoy it, I would love Comments and Suggestions!
1. Chapter 1

_So guys, I see you liked my smut, I like smut too, however this is not smut, and I was wondering your views on an original story, yay? Nay? Should I do it? Well Ill post the first chapter and tell me if you want me to continue. If you do, I'll get it copy-righted or something, and I'll see about publishing it, when it's finished, but until that point, it's entirely free on here, I hope you enjoy it. _

_ THIS IS MY STORY. I OWN IT. (I will accept suggestions for a better title)  
_

_**Chapter 1 View of Astrid**_

I live on earth, Milky-way galaxy, quadrant 0.745-earth standard. I live in a tiny town, in what used to be the United States of America, in what used to be Indiana. Now it's just "section 8" though. The earth is plagued with poverty, starvation, and all-around royal suckitude. I'm the only able body in my family, and the only one, besides my 9 year old baby brother, Donnie, but he's too sick most of the time from the ash overhead.

Oh, did I forget to mention? I live in a crap world, where we can no longer see the sun; we have lights called "Solar Simulators" or "sols" for short. It sucks, the food we eat is bland and tasteless, but I heard rumor of some guy illegally growing strawberries, my mouth waters at just the thought of something sweet. The water always tastes like rusty pennies and the air always smells like salt. Home sweet home. I'm 14, going to be fifteen in exactly 4 days, then I start work in my "designated" area, most people just get placed in the salt mines seeing as we live so close, others get placed as testers and sometimes we get placed in school, going on to be great people. Then there is leader class, which is decided by monitoring the youth, and very few exist, seeing as there are certain requirements to be a leader. Snake-like, brutal and slippery come to mind, not that-of course- I would ever say that out loud, I might get banned. I know that doesn't sound bad but it really is, we work in our sections for curs, curs mean food, food means full belly so you can go to work. Unfortunately if you take work out of the equation, it means death, and as crappy as this life is… it is still life.

I watch another lovely little gray house as family moves in next to me, speaking of death, that's what happens, when you die, your little gray house, on your little gray block in you little gray town, gets "reassigned." Then, another little gray family moves in and clears out whatever was left of your little gray life. Gray, gray, gray, and the color almost makes me physically sick now. The government teeters on collapsing and their solution, the cleanest, gray so it doesn't show dust, and colors have apparently been outlawed, everything but red, yellow and blue, the most basic colors. At least they have in my mind, the different gangs represent different colors, representing rebellion, imagination, pretty much if you wear anything but the "suggested materials" you get arrested or trailed for being in a gang.

The sky is blacked out, and the factories hum day and night. I live in a terrible world, a world with little to no life. A world of ash.


	2. Chapter 2: Lost In Thought

_To answer some questions; Smut is dirty. And yes chapter 1 was kind of depressing, but doesn't it have to be to INSPIRE someone to get off their bums and DO SOMETHING. Anyway, sorry that this story is kind of going hunger games style but I hope you like where it leads._

**Chapter 2: The Drawing**

So here's the deal, barely anyone is left on earth because everyone has moved to Mars or Jupiter, but I'm not rich, and nor is anyone here obviously, in fact you really can't do anything on earth to make enough money to move out, to make enough money to live. But we all know how that song and dance goes, and that just doesn't happen to normal people. Much less normal people with absolutely horrid luck like me.

In fact one of the only things on earth that is worth anything at all is its resources, we supply the other planets while our own, gets more and more polluted. But it's all alright, the trees are sprouting in Jupiter, and the water is flowing on Mars, the only thing missing is a way to get animals up there, but that's already pretty much figured out. Then we are left to rot in our own poverty. Unless a huge, and I mean huge, spout of luck just slapped Earth right in the face, we're doomed. But everything, all the gloom and doom, it's all perfectly fine because of my best friend, Scottie. And you may be sitting there going "Ugh another love story" but excuse you, because HE has a huge crush on ME and I already turned him down so THERE, so how 'bout them apples? I'm mean yeah, but who cares, I have a family to take care of, why would I want a relationship? I'm not some lovesick puppy.

Me, being me, so involved in my own thoughts, I run into Scottie and send a binder full of papers flying out of his hands. I feel heat rising up to my face as I stutter for an apology under his glare. Scottie is tall, with dusty-blond hair and bright, almost blue, hazel eyes. He has high cheek bones, a slightly up-turned nose, and a scowl that could scare the living daylights out of a fully-grown grizzly bear. His bright and mischievous smile, coupled with his handsome face –not that I've noticed- is enough to make any girl swoon. Except this one, because I seem to lack a soul.

"Astrid are you even listening?! God damn this is the second time this week, Christ, can't I study for the contest?" He said, with vehemence, usually he's sweet to girls, but I guess he's just gotten too used to me over the years, and I him.

"Ugh, watch where you are walking, and would you quit your bitchin'?" I say annoyingly and grin, as Scottie adopts a more exasperated look.

"I LIVE. Here!" He rolls his eyes.

"Really? I couldn't tell the difference, I thought this was Jake's house…" This time around, Scottie grins, then darkness rolls over his face instead.

"You should get used to this place Ash, bitching won't make it any more pleasant," He scolds. I scoff, and stomp off as he gathers the rest of his papers. I hear him walking before I see him, I live two blocks away from him, and we go to the same school. Clayton high. The only thing that isn't ash. As Scottie catches up I adopt a meaner expression.

"Don't call me that," I say as he goes to ask what my problem is today. I admit, yes I'm rather moody but usually he's not so bitchy, so in my opinion we are both at fault here. He puts his hands up in defense, and shrugs his shoulders before shoving his binder into a bag and stalking ahead of me into my own house. I throw off my coat, it's always cold out, and grab my own binder. I'm majoring in athletics, health study, communication, and sarcasm. That last one is my own add on, but in my age group,, we are only allowed to study three things, and it goes to the final fourth when we are fifteen. I haven't decided my fourth yet, but I need to, another cool thing is when we are fifteen, we are all tested to win "the contest" which is pretty much some bull where they send you off to some other planet to see if it's livable, and pass it off as a reward. The worst part, the fact that, now, it actually is one. It's a contest of a wide range, and if you make it, your fourth study is chosen for you, it's some system about certain people being more eligible because they are prodigies or some shit. All I know is it's a load of bull and I didn't pay attention. But I might as well study, my I.Q is at an even 240, and I'm one of the tops of my age group, might as well give it a sh-

"Seriously Astrid, again?" This time, I was on my butt, and Scottie was grinning down at me. My thoughts keep getting interrupted by this idiot, and not even in the good way, the things I put up with.

"You really, really, need to learn how to walk," I sneer and grab his hand.

"C'mon, Astie, why d'you gotta be like that?" He pulls me up with a crooked grin. I ignore his little nick-name, I bet he's proud of himself for that, and flop down at the table. And in the moment, that my cheeks touched the chair, an explosion happened. Everything changed with that, and it's something I will remember for the rest of my life. Scottie and I ran out the door and started at the sky, my face burned and I squinted up at the sky, I would gasp but the heat might collapse my lungs. This was only the beginning.


End file.
